"I'm at a difficult age."

I've had another movie watching patch. Three over two weeks may not seem like much of a "patch" to you, but it's kind of significant for me. The non-spoilery reviews:

Trainspotting: Well, I probably don't have to worry about spoilers with this one, as pretty much everyone else I know has seen it already. But! This film managed to live up to the years of hype that I've heard. I still find Requiem for a Dream the best (and most disturbing) addiction film, but Trainspotting wasn't meant to be compared to something like that. It was whimsical when it needed to be, and had no delusions of grandeur; just some fucked-up characters trying to get more ass, more money, and more heroin. Weee! A.

Tropic Thunder: I saw this at Southpoint with probably 6 other people in the theater, which allowed for much inappropriate laughter. I'm not sure how highly I'd recommend this, but it was a great thing to point and laugh at for 90 minutes. Ben Stiller did what he always does and it was predictable and uninspiring, but Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey (who called Ben Stiller's character "Tuggernuts" the whole time) carried it a little farther and made the slapstick (sort of) worthwhile. And Robert Downey Jr. playing an Australian dude playing a black dude was just ridiculous. If I were to use the rating scale of real movies, I'd give it a D. But knowing what I was getting into (and more than a little turned on by Jay Baruchel :D), it could be more like a C.

Volver: This was our movie night pick this week. Despite the static graphics that just slide across the screen (which Josh pointed out; WTF Pedro Almodóvar), it was amazingly well done. He really does love his women, as there were almost literally no men in the whole flick. Penélope Cruz and Lola Dueñas carried the film with their portrayal of sisters who know each other deeply yet still try to fool each other; at times I felt like I was watching my mom and one of my aunts instead. The plot had some issues, though; shouldn't the thing in the freezer have had a little more depth? It felt unresolved to me, but just a minor quibble in a good story. B+.